


Waking Up to Red

by leitoraveg



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn (Comics)
Genre: F/F, Friendship/Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 02:36:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20771138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leitoraveg/pseuds/leitoraveg
Summary: Harley realises something and goes for it. Ivy is just her perfect self as usual.





	Waking Up to Red

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first fic and it has been hanging around on my phone for a really long time, so I just decided to share it once and for all. 
> 
> I’ve had ideias to make it into a longer one but for now it will be a stand-alone.
> 
> Quick disclaimer: I don’t own Harley nor Ivy, unfortunately.

Slowly, very slowly, she felt herself being brought into consciousness by a soft care on her arm and a soothing continuous whisper. Sighing happily, she scooted closer to the source of that warmth, still lost in a daze of sleep. She was soon aware, though, of a throbbing pain all over her body and felt herself grimace while opening her eyes.

The very first thing Harley saw was a curtain of red hair. Blinking her light blue eyes, she felt a soft roundness under her head serving as pillow and the beat of a strong heart. There were arms circling and caressing her very gently, a whole body pressing against her front. Or better, she was pressing against the side of said body with her right arm thrown over a belly, fingertips ghostly touching a hip bone. Inhaling softly, she distinguished the refreshing smell of mint with a hint of sweet strawberry and she smiled, recognizing it instantly.

Scooting even closer, Harley hummed while she tightened her arm around a small waist. She opened her eyes lazily, tilting her head back a little so she could see skin. Harley raised herself a bit on her palms and traced her gaze up and over soft pale skin, the curve of a jaw, luscious full red lips that seized making any sound, a small pointed nose and finally a pair of bright green eyes that were watching her intently, as if looking for a reaction.

“Red…” Harley whispered softly, a smile tugging at her dried lips.

Ivy kept examining her face, her pale green hand joining the excrutinity. The touch was so soft Harley almost didn't feel it, but it was also full of a care only her best friend could muster.  “ How are you feeling?” the redhead asked, her voice rough with awareness.

Harley rubbed her eyes slightly to try and tug the sleep away, focusing on her aches. “I kinda feel like the time I tried to fly from the roof of my dad's pickup truck.” she grinned at the memory, wetting her dried lips. “I mean, it didn't work out.”

Despite of the humor on the blonde's face, Ivy didn't laugh. She kept staring at her friend with the definition of poker face gracing her sharp features and there was a reason for it. She didn't want to lose control over the contrasting emotions roaring inside her. There was no way she would treat the situation with anything but rational reasoning, even though all she could feel was frustration and concern towards Harley and pure hatred towards the man the blonde obsessed over.

Harley frowned at the redhead's cold attitude and sat back slowly on the bed - minding her injuries - so she could see her friend better. She kept both hands on the other woman's leg though, drumming her fingers. “What's up with ya?” she asked, with a raised eyebrow.

Ivy sighed tiredly and blinked slowly, resting her head on the pillow behind her head, finally averting her eyes. “Nothing at all.” she muttered a bit sarcastically.

Harley hummed, obviously not convinced, and grabbed the vixen's hand to play with her fingers. “Come on, Red! Talk to me.” she whined, leaning a little forward to her friend. Her eyes bulged then. “Oh! How did I end up here by the way?”

Ivy narrowed her eyes. Deciding to firmly approach the subject, she sat in front her friend and looked down at her pointedly. “How do you  _ think _ ? How do you ever end up here sore and wounded on my front door?” she asked, her voice tight but controlled.

Harley winced slightly, stopping her caressing fingers. She knew why she was here, actually. She was well aware of what happened and why it happened. The thing is, she was just scared of doing what she came here for - and was beaten for too -.  _ Well _ ,  _ you should see the other guy! _ she thought amusingly.

“Crazy girls night?” she murmured, attempting some humor over the unwanted subject her friend was trying to enter. She knew it was unavoidable, but she could at least postpone it a bit and just enjoy being close to her Pammy again.

Ivy sighed, also looking away to try and calm her rushing thoughts. She pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand and closed her eyes. There was so much she wanted to tell her friend, so much she wanted the blonde to know and so little to ask. Just a bit of self respect. Just a pinch of consideration for herself and the red headed vixen whom went to every possible length to protect and provide for the clown. Her clown.

She felt the possessiveness hit hard on her chest even though Ivy knew she had no right. There was an intense desire to hold Harley close all the time crossing through her whole body and she didn't like it at all. Harley was not hers or anybody's, she wasn't a thing to own nor to keep tabs on. She was her own person and had the right to be free and happy.

And there was the thing that kept bugging the green skinned vixen so much. Was her beautiful and warm Harley really happy? Did that excuse of a human being and living creature that tortured and abused her, both mentally and physically, bring her true joy? Ivy shook her head, confused and angry, with this situation that she found herself brought on by something she swore to never let happen again.

Love a human.

And to top it all she did that, love Harley that is, so thoroughly,  _ so freaking much _ , that she was capable of anything for her, even if that was to keep fighting with the only person she cared over something she was almost sure was a lost cause. She just couldn't sit and do nothing about it, not when Harley was involved. She would never let her at hand.

Harley saw the trouble and worry crossing the gorgeous features of her vixen friend and decided she couldn't be a coward anymore. Enough was enough.

Ivy felt tentative fingers brush the top of her ear as they tugged a fiery strand behind it. She raised her glance to piercing light blue eyes, felt the air leave her lungs and heard the soft gasp that left her lips. Harley was cupping her cheek, staring at her with so much softness and love, it was almost unbearable. There was a seriousness on her that the redhead had never seen before, like she was finally sober after a long time of alcohol induced haziness.

The anger she was feeling vanished quickly onto thin air.

“I know, baby.” the blonde said, smiling slightly. Ivy felt a tug in her chest at the pet name. She could only find comprehension on those cerulean globes and also some... regret? No, that wasn't it. “And I'm really sorry.” Or maybe it was.

“What for, exactly?” she asked cautiously. The pale fingers were now tracing her features almost with reverence, passing lightly over her forehead down the curve of her nose and the line of a cheekbone. “Troubling you. Making you sad and doubtful.”

Harley traced down Ivy's neck, shoulder and arm until she reached her hand, grabbing it and interlocking their fingers. She lowered her gaze, staring intently at their joined limbs for a minute and suddenly brought them up to her lips, kissing the green palm softly while locking her eyes again on Ivy's. “Darling, what are y…” Ivy started, just to be interrupted by a finger on her lip.

“Red, please, I just  _ ugh _ ... I really want to share this with you, all of it, because I can see you just don't realize it. And I'm pretty sure it is obvious but I'm just so tired of, of... _ Arg _ , just being this way, joking and playing and pretending, when I know I can be more. When I know we can be more. And yesterday... Yesterday I took the first step.” Poison Ivy looked at her clown with a furrowed brow. She was confused at her friend's words, they almost seemed to say…

“I left him, Pammy.”

_ Oh my, is this really happening _ _ ? _ Ivy thought, wide eyed. Those three words were resonating through her head like the jingles of a bell. She felt suddenly lightheaded and realized she was not breathing. This was something the redhead had wanted for so long, to have her Harley safe and close to her without the shadow of a laughing freak, to have the possibility of true happiness and fulfillment not only being a concept in her mind.  _ Oh my plants! _

She felt herself be tugged back by a pressure on her leg and she jumped a little when she saw that her friend had scooted closer. Harley's face was just inches from hers, her eyes shone with a deep glint and she made sure to be touching Ivy somehow, as if it were necessary for her.

“ I. left. Joker. “ she said very slowly  “ And I ain't going back. ”

“ Harl…” Ivy breathed out, gaping like a fish she was sure. Harley just shook her head.

“ I'm really sorry. Such an idiot. Me, I mean.” she laughed bitterly  “ So fucking blind.” She bit her lip, chastising herself again in her head. This realization had not simply downed on her one day, she had thought long and hard about everything that had happened on her life. Putting her degree to good use, she evaluated all of it to great length, analyzed events and aspects, psychoanalysed herself very thoroughly. The conclusions being obvious to a certain redhead for a while now, she was sure, mainly because she was on the receiving end of various rants about numerous wrong life doings and decisions.

But that was what led her here. Now she had important things to say to the woman whom has been, and will keep on being, her supporting axis. Refocusing on the face that held her world, the face that was still transformed with shock, Harley raised both hands to grasp green shoulders, bringing the startled gaze of round leaf-colored eyes back to her own calm-sea ones.

“ I want you to know that I'm really grateful for having you in my life, for everything you've done for me and what you keep on trying to do. I want you to know that it may not seem like it, but I try really hard to analyze and reform this side of me that lets you down because you're the only person that makes me want to be better, you're the only one whose opinion truly matters to me, you are just so strong and independent and I'm so weak. I've been so weak for so long and because of that I've been hurting you and…”

She cuts herself, closing her eyes briefly to not show the pain that is crossing her heart. Pain at imagining her beautiful, caring and loving Pammy hurting because of her. Because of her stupidity. She feels a hand on her face cupping her cheek, gathering the tear she hadn't even realized that was running down, giving her strength through warmth, and she takes a deep breath, opening her eyes to grin at her beautiful friend. No, not friend. The goddess that has made her life a turmoil of powerful emotions is so much more than that. And she'll tell her.

“ It doesn't matter what troubles we're in or who we're up against, I'll be by your side, even though once I made the mistake of not being.” She flashed a sad smile, remembering times of regret long passed.  “ Ivy…”

The emotions are running high and mighty inside her now. She shakes her head, never losing the smile and crawls even closer, kneeling between the redhead's legs and grabbing her face with both hands. She stares and stares, her eyes traveling over that perfect form of art. Then, she opens her mouth.

“ I need you. Terribly, just like air. You are so perfect.  _ So perfect _ you add to everything that I am - and you add a lot,ny the way - and you're so fucking incredible you had the patience and care, and whatever other million qualities you have, to reach out for me and show me the true meaning of being loved, even though I gave you so many reasons to lose once and for all any left faith you had on humanity. Red, Pammy, babe, darling” Ivy laughs at this, tears streaming down her face on a steady pace now, and Harley can't help but cry and chuckle too.  “ It doesn't matter what side of me you're facing when you look at me, all of them will always love you. Unconditionally and with everything I have. You're everything to me and you have been it for some time now, I just had to pull my big fat head out of my ass.”

There is no explanation to what Ivy felt then if not a swelling of her heart, that beat like the wings of a hummingbird on her chest. She laughed loudly at that last sentence, grabbing both of the hands on her face and squeezing them for reassurance, just to be sure this wasn't a dream. But it couldn't be and she knew it, her dreams were never this perfect.

“ You’re not weak, Harley. You’re human. And crazy smart, talented, beautiful, amazing really.” Ivy said after a moment of silence  “ And I'll always love you too. There’s no other option for me, you were the one who taught me how to love and my heart will always beat just that bit harder for you.” she finished, just a bit shy of admitting that so bluntly. Both of them just openly stared at each other with big matching grins.

Time seemed to stand still, withholding a hypothetical breath for some very fast synchronized heartbeats. Their grins slowly receded to give way to intense, meaningful staring, two souls connecting through sight, emotions reaching and resonating on the same frequency.

The first brush of lips felt like a warm summer breeze, like the taste of a favorite food, like turning off gravity. They immersed themselves into each other, exploring lips, mouths, tongues, forgetting everyone and everything that ever existed, just living and loving each other, enjoying the moment, _ finally  _ the moment. If Ivy had to tell how long their kiss lasted to save herself her only possible answer would be  _ forever _ but also  _ not long enough _ . The only thing she was sure in that moment was how immensely good this felt, however breathless and groundless she was because of it.

She felt like finally coming home.


End file.
